The Arizona high school football player, Talan Renner, along with six other attackers, has been accused of beating a teenager, Preston Lord, to death at a Halloween party last year. Renner and the others were held on $1 million bond and have pleaded not guilty. Following Lord’s death, Renner was allegedly hidden away at his family’s cabin in Show Low, three hours away from his home, by his father, Travis Renner. The claims of Renner’s whereabouts were made by his father’s ex-girlfriend, who shared details with law enforcement from the family’s credit card history.
It was alleged by the father’s ex that Renner was advised by the family attorney to let his hands heal before returning to his hometown of Gilbert. She described Renner as a “fighter” and an “angry kid” who holds in a lot of aggression and snaps when provoked. The ex-girlfriend decided to come forward after seeing a lack of remorse from Renner following the release of video surveillance in which he was reportedly bragging about getting away with Lord’s murder and the brutal nature of the attack. Renner was reported to have shared a photo while at the cabin, showing a swollen jaw.
Amidst the investigation, a former employee of Travis Renner claimed that the father and CEO of Relentless Media Agency, Adam Kifer, discussed moving Renner to the cabin and shifting the blame for the incident onto another boy involved in the assault. The former executive assistant, Ashley Reynolds, mentioned that she was asked to help with the situation and report regularly to the men about the case. She stated that she was ultimately fired after two months for being unwilling to assist with their plans and never given the chance to make that decision.
The incident occurred during a Halloween party in Queen Creek where as many as 15 suspects wearing ski masks attacked Lord, leading to his death from extensive injuries. Renner reportedly boasted to a friend online about accidentally killing Lord during the fight, claiming he was “too strong.” Another suspect, Talyn Vigil, confessed on Snapchat to attacking Lord, leading to his death. Witnesses described brutal details of the attack, with one witness mentioning Renner hitting Lord multiple times and others surrounding him and kicking him.
The investigation revealed more about the brutal attack, with witnesses describing disturbing details of the events that led to Lord’s death. Renner and the group of suspects were known as the “Gilbert Goons” and were arrested for their involvement in the killing of the teenager. Renner admitted in a Snapchat message to a friend that he had been in a big group fight and accidentally killed Lord, showing a lack of remorse for the crime. Another witness disclosed details of the attack, where Lord was on the ground and the group of attackers were recording and behaving in a disrespectful manner towards him before fleeing the scene. The tragic incident has shocked the community and led to the arrest and prosecution of Renner and the other suspects involved.
